Howard Brown backs growing Stop the Violence campaign in Pottstown

Howard Brown was at the Ricketts Community Center Monday to watch the youth summer basketball and participate in the Stop The Violence walk that was scheduled to be held. With the lightning and heavy rain, the event was moved indoors and Brown met with the kids and showed his support for Pottstown. Photo by John Strickler/21st Century Media News Service.

POTTSTOWN — A local hoops legend lent his support Monday night to the anti-violence movement that began in the borough a little more than a month ago.

“When I heard about this, it’s just a natural thing for me to want to be involved in some capacity,” said Howard Brown, the Pottstown grad who went on to play basketball at Villanova and internationally. “We’re actually drumming up a lot of residents and former residents to just not only bring awareness but to talk about some of the issues that we do have, to change.”

With a driving rain cancelling plans for a full march, the Stop the Violence campaign moved indoors at the Ricketts Center, where players in the Olivet Boys and Girls Club’s summer basketball league gathered together between games to pose for a picture and show their support of the movement.

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A Maryland resident now, Brown is in town for a combine for his basketball agency, iBall United, which will be held over the weekend both in Valley Forge and at The Hill School.

Having grown up in Pottstown, Brown said he’s “never” seen anything like the initiative shown by those spurring on the Stop the Violence campaign.

“That’s why I’m really excited,” he said. “Not only the people here in town right now are engaged, but we’re also engaged in other communities. And, also, the people I know that have been away for a while but have Pottstown (in their hearts), we’ve been talking about things that need to happen. If this is the spark that needs to bring it together, then I’m all for it.”

March organizer Kenya Edwards said turning the event into a demonstration inside the Ricketts Center was a good alternative because of the weather, especially with Brown in town.

“This all worked out to give the kids something they like to hear about instead of just come out and march,” she said.

Mark Ramsey is the basketball director of the Olivet Boys and Girls Club and helped host the demonstration.

“I just thought about the community and what it means to have the young kids here,” he said. “We also have families here, young mothers and fathers. They can see that we can come together, work together, march for this cause.”

Edwards said instilling in children at a younger age a message of making positive changes for the community is important, but the adults need to get involved as well.

“I’m trying to bring the message of not giving up,” she said. “Don’t just let it happen around you. Take the problem, put some force on it and make a change.”

Ramsey’s dedication to young basketball players in Pottstown and family members is a big help to the town and cause, Edwards said.

“The key is to give (children) something to do other than walking the streets, other than getting into mischief,” Ramsey said. “(They’re) working together, coming together for a common goal. They come to exercise, they come for fellowship with each other, it’s key.”

Pottstown School Board member Ron Williams again turned out for the demonstration. He discussed afterward with Edwards ways to get other organizations involved.

Earlier Monday was the preliminary hearing for John Parson Jr. and Tyron Witherspoon, who are charged in connection with the murder of Steven Mitchell June 5. The first Stop the Violence march occurred June 10, just five days later.

Edwards said the march wasn’t necessarily directly as a result of the violent act itself.

“It was the negative things I was reading,” she said. “I know the problems aren’t just where you are. You have to bring the problems to the big picture.”

She said a need for that change is what drove her and those like her to participate in the marches and demonstrations.

“People in town should not be dealing with the things they are,” she said.

The next march or demonstration will likely take place next week. A date is not yet set.

Brown commended people like Edwards and Ramsey.

“They’re here on the ground doing things every day,” he said. “We’ve got the community programs. It’s going to take that kind of effort from the residents, community officials, to bring everybody together.”